City commuters battle pothole chaos

Chaitali Joshi

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

The recent focus on the poor condition of the Pune–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar highway has again highlighted the crumbling roads within the city. While the highway has received some attention from officials, city roads remain equally bad. The prolonged spell of rain this year, continuing even after Dussehra and Diwali, has left many roads broken and waterlogged, making daily travel difficult and raising concerns about safety, health, and civic inaction.

Major routes including Kranti chowk flyover, Mill corner, Jalna Road, Seven Hills, Ulkanagari, Balasaheb Pawar chowk and Garkheda are among the worst affected. With uneven surfaces and deep potholes, even short commutes have turned risky for motorists and two-wheeler riders. Sources say around ten cases of back or neck injuries due to pothole impacts are reported each month. Along with health concerns, vehicle suspensions, tyres, and bumpers suffer damage, adding to citizens’ financial burden. “I am a daily commuter from Seven Hills Road, this route sees thousands of vehicles every day, and some potholes are so deep that they cause severe back pain. When these fill with rainwater, the situation becomes even worse. Officials should take note of this as soon as possible,” said daily commuter Ramesh Godbole. Doctors have warned that stagnant water collected in potholes can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and increase water-borne infections. “The number of potholes can lead to frequent jerks while driving, which often causes back and neck pain. Such strain can further lead to conditions like spondylosis or even slip disc. People coming from other cities or villages, who are not familiar with the road conditions, suffer the most. These potholes also increase the chances of accidents,” said Dr. Rahul Jaju, Orthopedic surgeon. Civic officials said repair work will begin once the rain stops. “The patchwork has been estimated according to zones, and the repair work will begin soon. Due to continuous rainfall, the work couldn’t be carried out. Once the rain stops, all the repairs will be taken up on priority,” said Farouque Khan, City engineer, CSMC.

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